Comments Off on Gogoro to launch Smartscooter sharing service in Japan this year

Electric is the future—and Gogoro is paving the way. The innovative electric scooter and battery swapping company just announced plans for expansion in Japan, with their new GoShare Smartscooter sharing service set to launch this year. The news comes hot on the heels of Gogoro’s $300 million in series C funding revealed last week. The new Smartscooter sharing service, called GoShare , will begin its pilot launch in the Okinawan island of Ishigaki this year with expansion to other cities in 2018. GoShare was created through Gogoro’s new partnership with Sumitomo Corporation , a leading Fortune 500 company in Japan that’s also one of Gogoro’s major Series C investors. Although GoShare will begin with the two-wheeled, Smartscooters, its energy network will eventually be used to power a fleet of compact four-wheel electric vehicles in the future as well. The real innovation behind the Smartscooters is the brilliant Gogoro Energy Network. This unique open battery-swapping system comprises GoStations, cloud-connected battery depots, locatable through a smartphone app, where users can swap their used Smartscooter batteries for fresh ones in as little as six seconds—no plugging in to recharge required. The network of battery stations use real-time energy usage monitoring and analytics to charge the batteries when needed, thus lessening pressure on the energy grid and improving overall energy efficiency . In Taiwan, where Gogoro was launched, there is one GoStation every kilometer in dense urban areas of Taipei. Related: Gogoro revs up Smartscooter expansion with $300 million in new funding “The Sumitomo Corporation and Gogoro partnership represent two companies that share a similar vision for making the world a better place through offering sustainable energy solutions that can transition people away from gas and to electric,” said Horace Luke, founder and CEO of Gogoro. “The Smartscooter and Gogoro Energy Network demonstrate how technology innovation can transform an industry and introduce a new urban transportation paradigm.” Gogoro launched in Taiwan in 2015 and recently expanded to Berlin and Paris. + Gogoro

Comments Off on Gogoro revs up Smartscooter expansion with $300 million in new funding

Get ready Gogoro fans—the firm’s innovative electric scooters could soon be coming to a city near you. The Smartscooter maker just nabbed $300 million in new funding with an impressive list of international backers. Four new high-profile partners joining their current investors include Al Gore’s Generation Investment Management, Singapore-based Temasek, Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation, and French energy giant ENGIE. A sign of growing global support in electric vehicles, this successful round of funding will go towards Gogoro’s technology development and expansion. Launched in Taiwan in 2015, Gogoro Smartscooter quickly rose to fame and was followed by expansions in Berlin and Paris in the form of electric scooter sharing programs . The major innovation lies with how the electric vehicle is powered—instead of plugging the scooter in for charging, Smartscooter owners swap out batteries at charging stations installed throughout the city. Often described as the “Tesla of electric scooters,” the innovative Smartscooter boasts over 100 million kilometers ridden by customers, including those on their new and improved Smartscooter 2. Related: Gogoro launches Smartscooter 2 with better handling, brighter headlights, and extra storage “One of the greatest challenges of our time is transitioning our cities to a smarter and more sustainable energy and transportation infrastructure,” said Horace Luke, co- founder and CEO of Gogoro. “Gogoro provides a new approach for cities to embrace sustainable energy through a smart connected infrastructure and battery swapping system that has demonstrated success across Taiwan and Berlin. New investments from leaders like Temasek and Generation combined with investments from visionary corporations like ENGIE and Sumitomo Corporation are a strong validation of Gogoro’s business and market success.” “This is a great sign that this sustainable technology of swappable batteries is something feasible that investors with high profiles around the world see as a viable solution,” added Luke in a conversation with Inhabitat. “It shows electric is here to stay and that it’s inevitable that electric will be the dominant player in the future.” The $300 million raised will be used for further development of technology and product, such as the use of big data collected from battery swapping to optimize the network and save energy. Gogoro also has plans to expand beyond its current three cities although they haven’t yet revealed which megacity they have their eye on next. + Gogoro

Comments Off on Paris launches electric scooter sharing program with Coup and Gogoro

Getting to and fro in Paris is about to get easier than ever. Gogoro , in collaboration with Bosch subsidiary Coup , just announced plans to bring 600 Smartscooters to Paris this summer for their first electric scooting-sharing program in France. The expansion to a new European capital builds on the success of Gogoro’s e-scooter sharing program in Berlin that recently grew to 1,000 rental scooters in March. As one of the world’s most congested cities, Paris is no stranger to alternative transportation and ranks among the top scooter cities in the world. Coup and Gogoro’s Smartscooter sharing program offers a more sustainable and high-performance transit choice that’s also very stylish. “We have received a lot of positive feedback for the Coup eScooter sharing in Berlin since launching last August. The opportunity to experience a city quickly, flexibly, and without any fuss on the stylish Gogoro Smartscooters Smartscooter has proven extremely popular. The success in Berlin is motivating us to bring greater mobility to another European capital so today we are announcing our Paris launch this summer,” says Mat Schubert, CEO of COUP Mobility GmbH. “Gogoro has been supporting with features to make our innovative sharing service even better, more user friendly and we are confident Parisians will enjoy the ease of use and overall experience.” Related: Gogoro launches electric scooter sharing in Berlin – teams up with Bosch’s Coup The Coup sharing service with 600 Gogoro Smartscooters will launch this summer in select central Paris districts. Anyone of legal age with a Class B driver’s license or an international driver’s license will be able to use the service and return the electric vehicles in dedicated two-wheel parking zones within the Coup service area. Users will be charged in 30-minute increments and can locate and reserve the closest Smartscooter with the Coup app that will be available in French for iOS and Android. + Gogoro

The Gogoro S model features a new G1 S motor with an output of 7.2 kW (at 5,000 RPM) compared to just 6.4 kW from the company’s regular model. The Gogoro S is also a speedy little sportster, with the ability to accelerate from zero to 31 mph (50 km/h) in 3.7 seconds, shaving a full half-second off the previous model’s time. This powerful electric scooter could get a rider into real trouble (and fast), so Gogoro capped its max speed at 59 mph for safety’s sake. Related: Gogoro launches electric scooter sharing in Berlin; teams up with Bosch’s Coup Gogoro first made a splash in the transportation world in early 2015 when it launched early models of electric smart scooters featuring fast-swappable batteries. In an effort to further boost sales, the company installed a series of GoStations across Taiwan (240 in total) where riders can grab a fully-charged battery and leave their drained battery behind to be charged for another scooterist. In the short time since its launch, the company has achieved booming success and the future is bright. Gogoro has already sold over 15,000 Smartscooters in Taiwan and estimates its customers have racked up 18.6 million miles on the battery-swapping scooters. Gogoro estimates that 9,000 battery swaps take place each day, proving that riders are keen to take advantage of the on-the-go convenience of the company’s GoStations. So far, the company estimates its riders have saved the equivalent of nearly 400,000 gallons of gasoline and 2,700 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, thanks to the scooters’ rechargeable batteries. + Gogoro Images via Gogoro

Comments Off on Worlds largest shipping container shopping mall pops up in Seoul

Located in Seoul’s Gwangjin District, Common Ground was an experimental project that sought to revitalize an unused lot in the middle of the capital. The use of prefabricated shipping containers lowered construction cost and reduced construction time to just five months. Each container is painted an eye-catching bright blue and is stacked together into three-story structures that divide the lot into two main spaces: the Market Hall and the Street Market. The stacked containers frame a central square that hosts weekend markets, exhibitions, and performances. Related: Bright and bold QUO shipping container mall springs up in Buenos Aires “Street Market draws inspiration from an alley market and keeps the texture of the container intact as much as possible,” writes Urbantainer. “Market Hall capitalises on trusses with strong architectural functions and serve as a reminder of the feeling of a market . In this part, the verticality of stacked container modules and the frames between containers are emphasised.” In keeping with its unconventional form, Common Ground hosts up-and-coming new designers, mid-sized shops, and editorial stores, rather than large mainstream brands. The 200 shipping containers house seventy stores, twenty restaurants, and a third-floor roof terrace. + Urbantainer Images via Urbantainer

Each year, we sit on the edge of our seats in anticipation of the new technologies being unveiled at CES . Over the years, the global technology event has seen the debut of many products that rapidly found their way into the hearts and homes of people around the world. The VCR, CD player, and HD TV were all originally revealed at CES, and companies of all sizes come from far and wide to nab a little piece of the world’s attention for their gizmos. During the three-day event, there’s no telling how many new products are put on display, but some are cooler than others. In this article, we’ll share what we think are some of the most exciting green gadgets and eco-friendly vehicles in the 48-year history of the event. Read the rest of 6 groundbreaking tech innovations at CES 2016

Comments Off on How Gogoro will deliver electric scooters to the people who really want them

If you want your own hip and zippy Gogoro electric scooter , now is the time to voice your demand. They’re enormously popular in Taiwan and heading to Amsterdam, and have potential in pretty much any densely-populated urban center in the world. In fact, Gogoro has sold 4,000 of their battery-swapping scooters to date. But because different countries have varying regulations when it comes to scooters, according to CEO Horace Luke, the company has to surmount certain legal hoops before introducing the scooters to further markets. In the meantime, Luke and others devised a clever way to ensure they pursue only the most relevant markets. Which is where you come in. Learn more about the Gogoro OPEN (Owner Proposed Energy Network) Initiative, which allows consumers and businesses to nominate themselves and their communities to be a part of the next market expansion. Read the rest of How Gogoro will deliver electric scooters to the people who really want them

Comments Off on Gogoro showcases its battery-swapping Smartscooter at the COP21 Sustainable Innovation Forum

We recently reported on Gogoro ‘s plans to bring its battery-swapping Smartscooters to Europe, and today CEO Horace Luke shared his vision for the future of green transportation at COP21 ‘s Sustainable Innovation Forum in Paris. “With the world’s megacities at a tipping point in population density, pollution fallout and rapid expansion, it is essential that we reimagine the energy infrastructure and create a renewed mindset for change in tomorrow’s urban generation. The Gogoro Smartscooter and Gogoro Energy Network are catalysts for more efficient, cleaner, and smarter energy choices in our cities,” said Luke. Gogoro’s battery-swapping Smartscooter and GoStation will be on display at the Sustainable Innovation Forum through the week. + Gogoro

Comments Off on Gogoro’s battery-swapping Smartscooters are coming to Europe next year

It’s been a whirlwind year for Gogoro – since launching in January the company has rolled out a battery-swapping network in Taipei, sold 3,000 electric Smartscooters , and it recently raised $130 million in additional funding. But Gogoro ‘s next move could be its biggest yet: the company just announced plans to bring its all-electric scooters and energy network to Europe next year, starting with Amsterdam. I chatted with Gogoro CEO Horace Luke about what 2016 holds for the company’s future – find out more after the break. Read the rest of Gogoro’s battery-swapping Smartscooters are coming to Europe next year